Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Laser Hair Removal

One of the main factors that you probably noticed before you were fully diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) was that you were experiencing additional hair growth and lots of it, especially on the face to the point where you were needing to shave your face very frequently just to keep down hair regrowth. This very embarrassing side effect of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is due to you producing far more of the male hormone Androgen than women without this condition do. Shaving such a delicate area leads to razor rash and stubble so laser hair removal at the Sheffield laser clinic is an ideal solution to dealing with this problem.

New Laser Technology

The medical procedure of using lasers for body hair removal is becoming more popular and cost effective and is something that the Sheffield Laser Clinic specialises in.

It may sound like an excessive and painful way to deal with hair regrowth but if you understand the principle of how it works you can then see why it is effective in giving you long term, smooth results. Care is taken to use the heat of the intense laser beam to focus in on the melanin of the hair root this is what gives the hair its colour and through doing this will damage the actual hair follicle, without causing damage to the surrounding skin.

Taking Care of All Skin Types

Because there is such a variety in skin types the Sheffield Aesthetics and Laser Clinic ensures that it uses different lasers depending on the skin type that is being worked on. For example, for people with darker skin tones a Yag laser is used or for those with lighter skin an Alexandrite laser is used for body hair removal. As all practitioners in the clinic are qualified and fully trained on these different lasers it ensures that the treatments are highly successful and far more risk free than other competitors that may only use Intense Pulse Light(IPL) treatment instead of Lasers.

Life Cycle of Hair

All hair has three different stages of life, Anagen where the hair is still fully attached to the blood supply and actively growing. Catagen this is an intermediate stage where there is still some growth but less so as it is getting ready to go into the final stage of Telogen which is the resting/shedding stage and the end of the hair regrowth process. Laser treatment is most effective on hairs in the Anagen stage and to destroy up to 80-90% of the hair follicles at this stage requires six to eight sessions of body hair removal. Once treated the hairs will take about two weeks to shed.

What length of time are we looking at for treatment?

The time it takes for a procedure is obviously dependent on the area that is being treated. When you have your initial free consultation, your practitioner will be able to advise likely length of time for the work you are having done. To give you a general idea though; if you are having a large area such as legs or back treated that it will probably take more than an hour, but if it is a smaller area such as on your face then it may be as little as fifteen minutes.

Is this going to hurt?

As intense heat is the method used in laser hair removal and even though it is very targeted by our experienced practitioners there can be some discomfort. However, because the Sheffield Laser clinic uses the right technology, namely a built-in cooling system which applies a Cryogen gas to the area about to be treated, the area will be numbed before the laser is fired. This will reduce the heat effect and together with the Aloe Vera gel applied post treatment, means any pain is minimised.

How long will it take to Recover?

No recovery time is necessary after treatment, you may notice a small amount of redness due to increased blood flow in the area that has been treated (Erythema) but most likely within two or three hours this will have subsided.

Are there certain steps I should take before treatment?

You will have a patch test before your treatment in order to establish which laser is the most effective for you and your requirements but then it is also important that you follow these guidelines before you attend for your treatment:

Do not do any of these practices within six weeks of your appointment - electrolysis, waxing or plucking, also it is good to avoid sun exposure as this can lessen the effect of laser hair removal.

You should arrive for your treatment with your skin well cleaned and shaven.

How soon will I know it has worked?

You should start noticing results after about three weeks working on hair growth cycles but it will depend on your hair and skin type. It is likely that you will notice the most difference after your first session.

Should I be aware of anything to look out for after treatment?

It is quite normal to experience a little bit of discomfort and pain around the treated area due to hair follicle swelling and perhaps some itching too. As part of the treatment you will have been prescribed an antiseptic cream to apply should you need it to counter any of these symptoms.

Will I need to take any precautions afterwards?

Understandably you will need to take some precautions after treatment to allow the area to recover and therefore you should avoid rinsing or scrubbing with any strong cleansers in the first couple of days. Also, you should prevent getting any sun burn by using sunscreen and definitely no self-tanning should be done within the first two weeks.

What side effects may I have?

We do our best at the clinic to make sure any side effects such as blisters, skin discolouration or burning of the skin are minimised by using the correct lasers and cooling systems so you shouldn’t have to worry about these. You may just have the Erythema/redness - mentioned earlier and possibly a slight burning sensation straight after treatment but it should not last too long.